menace

What it means

1. A perceived threat or danger.First known use a. 1300

   the dark menace of the distant war.

   1697, Virgil, “The Ninth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

2. The act of threatening.

   Synonyms: minacity, minacy

3. informalAn annoying and bothersome person or thing.

In a sentence

the dark menace of the distant war.

1697, Virgil, “The Ninth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

Where it comes from

1. Latinmināx“threatening”
2. Late Latinminācia“threat, menace”
3. Old Frenchmanace
4. Middle Englishmanace
5. Englishmenace

From Middle English manace, from Old French manace, menace, &c., from Late Latin minācia (“threat, menace”), from Latin mināx (“threatening”) + -ia (suffix forming abstract nouns).

First known use: a. 1300